Faint in the Flames
by KiKiCohen
Summary: When fire surrounds the Cohen home, drama is sure to ensue. Who's alive and who's struggling to keep their life. Can the family stick together in the largest crisis they have been in?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing OC-related. I guess I own the firemen and paramedics but they don't really count? Yeah and I wish I owned their Range Rover because I would so drive that around town and be a pimp. **

**A/N: If it doesn't have drama, I didn't write it. This story is filled with hospital drama. I don't know how long it's going to be. I think this will end up being the best story that I have ever written before. Yay! COMMENT PLEASE BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND I'LL ** **COMMENT** **ON**** YOUR STORY TOO! **

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

"What a great party – no fights, no drama, just a good time," Kirsten turned to Julie as she shut the door after the last guest besides the Cooper family left, "Would you guys like to stay and have a couple of drinks on the newly finished veranda upstairs?"

"Sure," Jimmy piped in, looking over at Julie, "Marissa will probably stay here until later with the boys and Summer and we have no better plans." Sandy and Kirsten smiled as they took Jimmy and Julie up the staircase and onto the new upstairs deck that they had finished. They noticed the teens in Seth's room listening to music and throwing pillows at each other happily.

"The kids look happy," Sandy noted, waving as he passed by.

"Hey dad," Seth called, "Where are you guys going?"

"The new deck, enjoy your angry guitars or whatever music you are listening to. If you can call that music," Sandy joked.

"See I told you Cohen, Death Cab for whatever Sweetie is angry guitars."

"It's CUTIE. C-U-T-I-E!" Seth exclaimed, "You are lucky I don't kick you out of the house right now! Do you want a lesson in Death Cab for Cutie appreciation?"

"I enjoy them," Marissa shrugged, bobbing her head to the beat of the song _Expo '86. _

"That was the first party here that I have actually enjoyed!" Ryan joked, tossing a pillow at Seth.

"It was a good party," Marissa agreed, jumping onto Seth's bed.

"Can I go grab another bottle of wine?" Julie asked the other adults.

"Thanks Julie, that would be great," Kirsten smiled as she continued to listen to Jimmy and Sandy's funny conversation. She loved being around the Coopers. As _Desperate Housewives _acting Julie was, she was actually enjoyable. Kirsten would never admit that to anyone though.

"The party was great," Jimmy told Kirsten, "It made me very happy." Jimmy had finally gotten over Kirsten. Every time she looked over at him she remembered the days that she was best friends with Taryn and wore crazy clothes and was carefree. She preferred Sandy. She remembered that everyday Taryn, Jimmy, Peter, and herself would go the equivalent on the Crab Shack now and spend every afternoon laughing.

"Remember our daily trips to _Pino's Deli_?" Kirsten wanted to make sure that he knew that the days she spent with him weren't forgotten.

"Forget? Impossible. I remember that some days you and Taryn would wear those crazy tights and short skirts for fun and the one time that you guys dressed like skanks your dad came in with a client and you guys had to sneak to the bathroom and the client saw you but not you dad?" Jimmy was smiling and Sandy was laughing at the funny story.

"I can't believe that I was best friends with Taryn, my fellow Newpsie," Kirsten smiled, "I remember the time that we cross-dressed with you guys at a party to see what our parents would say and they were SO mad at us. We all got grounded," she giggled, "That was fun."

"You guys sure changed a lot, I can't believe you guys…cross-dressed," Sandy looked at the two, "I did that once. It was a good story."

"Let's hear it then," Kirsten laughed.

"OK," he began, "So I was friends with these two girls Joanne and Jessica. The two were twins and they lived across the street. One day they asked if they could each borrow a suit and I said that I only had one so Jessica took it and told me that I had to wear one of her dresses. This is back in the day when I was scrawny. So anyways…."

"KIRSTEN!" Julie screamed from downstairs, startling the other adults.

"What?" she calmly cried down, hoping that Julie just broke another nail or some other world crisis.

Julie didn't respond again. "I'll go down and see what the problem is," Sandy told the adults, walking half way down the stairs until he noticed the flames in the kitchen, "JULIE!"

" Sandy!" she called again, "Help!" The flames suddenly headed into the family room and began to rise up the stairs in a matter of seconds. Julie was covered in ashes and ran towards the front door, "I'll go to my house and call 911 if I don't pass out."

Sandy was worried about the six people still upstairs. He took the stairs two at a time just in front of the flames, he ran to Seth's room first. "SETH! YOU GUYS GET OUT OF THE HOUSE NOW. IT'S ON FIRE!"

"What?" Seth asked, worriedly, "On fire?" The second he opened the door a mass of flames entered his room as he took off. Summer stood back anxiously and watched as the Cohen house was engulfed into a mob of fiery flames.

"I can't go that way!" she cried. She had a deathly fear of fire. She realized that only Seth was left, waiting to take her hand, "I'm jumping out your window."

"NO! SUMMER!" he cried, trying to grab her hand but she was already out the window and possibly dead on the ground.

Sandy ran up to the veranda with torn clothes and a dizzy head, "Jimmy, Kirsten, remain calm. The house is…" The flames finally reached the veranda; the whole house was on fire now. Kirsten panicked. She couldn't move from the spot that her two feet were planted on.

"Come on Kirsten!" Sandy called; he couldn't leave the house without his wife. He stood on the inside of the house calling to her as she froze in her spot. Suddenly a large beam fell in front of her, lightly hitting Sandy in the head. He touched the spot and felt blood.

"Kirsten, I'm bleeding!" he had tears in his eyes. Kirsten looked so young and helpless standing on the porch in her cocktail dress with tears streaming down her face, "You'll be OK!"

"Go Sandy, please go!" she told him, "You need medical attention!" Sandy remained in the spot as the porch began to get shaky, Kirsten was caught in flames, "GO NOW SANFORD COHEN AND GO GET YOUR HEAD CHECKED AND I'LL BE FINE!" Sandy didn't want to disobey his wife and hurried down the stairs as she remained trapped on the porch. The metal in front of her was melting and she felt burns being added onto her body.

Marissa, Ryan, and Seth didn't know where to go. Seth was hysterical as he grabbed various pictures off tables and the walls. He knew that they had a fire-proof box. He felt so bad for letting Summer try to jump. He hoped that she was OK. He also hoped that both of his parents were outside waiting for him with open arms.

"Are you guys OK?" Ryan called from the front of them as they reached the staircase. He knew that it would break if he tried to step on it, "Actually, you guys go down, I want to make sure that everyone made it out!" Marissa and Seth looked back at Ryan for one second before tearing down the stairs as each on cracked as they stepped on it.

"SETH! MARISSA!" Summer cried from her spot on the ambulance, they were trying to force an oxygen mask on her.

"Oh my God, Sum, you made it," Marissa cried, trying to run but her knees were shaking.

"Marissa, your leg!" Sandy called from behind her, coming up to examine her bloody leg, "She needs help!"

"What about your head!" Marissa shrieked, looking at the spot, "Are you trying to keep it off the paramedics radar?" Sandy looked as though he was about to pass out. He wanted to make sure Kirsten was OK before he got medical help.

Ryan searched through the house until he saw something large lying on the floor surrounded by falling metal. He went closer to the object until he realized that it was a person lying on the ground. "Kirsten?" he called towards the person, hoping for a response. She was unconscious in a heap on the floor, he could tell that firemen were in the house but he wanted to be the hero. His whole body was in pain but Kirsten was clearly on the verge of losing her life. He picked her up and held her like a baby as he hurried to the front door.

"Where's Ryan?" Sandy anxiously asked Seth, "Why didn't he come out with you guys?"

"He wanted to make sure that everyone was out or something," Seth hung his head in shame as he cradled his hurt arm; "My arm is killing me. I recovered a couple things also." Sandy touched his son's arm as Seth yelped, "Dad, I think it's broken."

"Just be strong Seth, they'll make it to you as soon as they can," Sandy rubbed his son's back. Suddenly Sandy saw a figure come through the front door. It was Ryan holding an unconscious Kirsten.

"RYAN!" Seth and Sandy cried in unison. The two looked at each other and ran towards Ryan but Sandy couldn't, he fainted in the grass. Two paramedics came over to Sandy and began to examine his head and carry him to an ambulance. The whole Cooper family and Summer were all already at the hospital. Ryan sat in the ground and put Kirsten in front of him. He checked for signs of breathing as a paramedic talked to Seth. The group was oblivious to all the neighbors standing around in shock at the nearly demolished house.

"Help my mom first!" Seth protested as they lifted him onto a gurney and took him towards the ambulance doors, "She looks like she's dying!" Seth squirmed around as the oxygen mask covered his face and the annoying sirens and lights turned on. Seth realized that he was about to pass out and finally relaxed but was still steadily crying as he saw the last glimpse of his house.

"She isn't breathing," Ryan told the paramedics as they gently put her on a gurney and hurried her towards an ambulance. Ryan was the only person that was in the fire left and he was quickly taken to an ambulance and rushed towards the hospital as well. He couldn't believe it. He just wanted to have a time machine and go back in the past and prevent this from happening. He was afraid the only real mother that he had ever had was dead and that all his closest friends would never be the same again. A tear built up in his eye as he closed his eyes and drifted into another world.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

**A/N: PLEASE COMMENT! I would appreciate it. I hope you like this because re-reading it, I think it's my best story. More emotions and drama to come. **


	2. Awakening

**Disclaimer: I own nothing OC-related. I guess I own the firemen and paramedics but they don't really count? Yeah and I wish I owned their Range Rover because I would so drive that around town and be a pimp. **

**A/N: If it doesn't have drama, I didn't write it. This story is filled with hospital drama. I don't know how long it's going to be. I think this will end up being the best story that I have ever written before. Yay! COMMENT PLEASE BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND I'LL COMMENT ON YOUR STORY TOO! For clarification I kind of made my own time period. Ryan is really close to the Cohen's but Caleb is still alive and Jimmy/Julie are together. **

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Hailey sat in her home after the event at her sister's house and began to watch _Law and Order _on TV. She had finally finished pulling her life together and bought herself a McMansion and worked as a Chanel sales representative so she could stay around her family. The boys were in the middle of their senior year and Kirsten was better. She could sit with a group of friends while they became indulged in a bottle of wine and just sip on water and be fine. Hailey was proud of her sister for getting help just as her sister was proud of her for pulling her life together. Her father was dead but the family had seemed to be getting better about the death of Caleb and were pulling themselves back together. As she found herself becoming more into the plot a breaking news alert flashed the screen, "What the hell is this?" she wondered, fixing her eyes on the screen.

"**BREAKING NEWS! **Tonight the home of Sandy and Kirsten Cohen was engulfed in flames after a party at their home. Investigators are trying to find the cause of this fire. At the moment it is reported that: _James Cooper, Julia Cooper, Kirsten Cohen, Sandy Cohen, Marissa Cooper, Summer Roberts, Ryan Atwood-Cohen, and Seth Cohen (shows pictures of each) _were all injured in this fire but none have been declared dead yet," the reporter stood in front of the burnt house as Hailey's hand flew to her mouth, "That is the Breaking News Alert for now and this is Samuel Pickens, Good-Night."

Hailey didn't know whether she should run to the hospital in her pajamas or change, look presentable, and be there for her family. She hurried to her room and found a polo and a pair of jeans and changed as quickly as she could. She couldn't let her family be alone. She knew for a fact that her family did not deserve this after all the drama that they had overcome during the summer. Hailey was scared and needed one of her parents but she was well aware that that would never be possible again.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Seth sat up in his hospital bed and looked next to him to see a sleeping Ryan. He looked down at his heavily bandaged arm that was in a sling and felt the IV in his arm giving him morphine. For a minute, he couldn't remember why he was in the hospital in the first place. He remembered the party and hanging out with his friends, but for some reason his memory cut him short. A short nurse with a nametag that read "Sally" and blonde hair quietly walked into the room, hoping not to wake Ryan.

"He could sleep through a war going on in his room," Seth informed the nurse, still confused as of why he was in the hospital in the first place, "Why am I here?"

"Oh, Seth, you're awake. Do you not remember last night?" she asked with a concerned look on her face. He shrugged. "Do you not remember the house fire…?" Seth suddenly jumped, making his IV pull out of his arm and he looked at Ryan.

"Oh my God, my mom, the second I was leaving she wasn't breathing. Ryan saved her! Where is she? How is my dad? SUMMER! IS SHE OK? Marissa? Her leg was all bloody. Julie and Jimmy? Did they get hurt?" Seth was on the verge of tears as he waited for the little nurse to answer.

"I don't know about your parents, Jimmy, or Julie. Summer and Marissa will be OK. They are both being treated in another room," the nurse smiled, "But I am not supposed to tell you the conditions of other patients." Seth looked around the room, waiting for what came next, when there was a light knock on the door.

Hailey entered Ryan and Seth's room because she couldn't visit anyone else. Her sister was still in trauma and Sandy was in surgery. She first noticed Ryan sleeping in the first bed with oxygen flowing into his nostrils and Seth being fussed over by a way-too-blonde nurse.

"Seth!" she whisper-cried, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed and giving him a hug, "I am so sorry." The nurse glared at Hailey.

"Are you supposed to be here?" the nurse asked impatiently.

"I'm his aunt and I was told by a doctor that I could visit my nephews," she retaliated, hoping not to pick a fight with the nurse.

"Alright, you can spend some time with him," the nurse gave in, checking on Ryan and then leaving the room.

"Do you know how everyone else is?" Hailey asked nervously. She knew that the family didn't deserve to lose everything that they had.

"Marissa and Summer are OK and so is Ryan, we all got hurt though. The nurse didn't know about any of the adults," Seth sighed, "My mom was really bad. Ryan carried her out after everyone else was out and she was unconscious and I don't think that she was breathing." Seth let a tear escape.

"Mmph," a sound came from Ryan's bed, Seth and Hailey both looked over.

"Are you there, man?" Seth asked, sitting up and clutching his hurt arm, "Ryan?"

"What?" he asked, sitting up, "How's Kirsten?" He obviously remembered quicker than Seth.

"Shh," Hailey told him, "No one knows. I think she is still in the trauma section."

"Bu…but she wasn't breathing and I…" he took a deep breath and lay back down on the bed, "What's wrong with me anyway?" He obviously didn't notice the bandage around the burns on his arm from where he had to touch the flaming metal and he could feel his broken ribs. "How's Sandy?" he asked, completely forgetting to ask about his girlfriend.

"We don't know about him either," Hailey shrugged, looking at Seth for the answer, even though he was completely helpless.

"I know that he completely passed out on the front lawn while trying to run and see mom," Seth told him, lifting up his hurt arm, "Look at my battle wound."

"Nice," Ryan grinned at him, lifting his bandaged but not broken arm, "Oh my God! What about Marissa!"

"Thought you'd never ask," Seth shrugged, "I don't know what exactly is wrong with her but they said that she is going to be OK." The door opened again and in came Jimmy Cooper, tip-toeing and not realizing that the two were awake.

"Oh you guys are awake!" he seemed surprised and the two smiled. The realization that they had lost virtually everything hadn't hit them yet and they were excited to be alive, "I'm so terribly sorry about everything. I heard that your mom is in pretty rough shape." Seth and Ryan exchanged glances.

"How so?" Hailey asked, biting her nails.

"I heard that she is in the ICU or something, but that might just be a rumor or something," he shrugged, not wanting to worry the two; "Marissa and Summer send their love."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Sandy had been knocked out with some drugs and was finally waking up in the morning. His head hurt really badly and so did his leg. He couldn't really remember why he was in the hospital and did the best to remember. Suddenly it all came back to him. The flames, the fury, the screams, and especially Ryan running out of the house holding Kirsten in his arms and bleeding from a cut on his arm. Sandy couldn't believe that he had actually left Kirsten like she had requested. He was a bad husband. She knew that she really didn't want him to leave but he did anyways. She was going to be so mad at him.

"I see someone is finally awake," a brunette nurse smiled from the doorway and entered the room.

"Hi," Sandy looked at her, "How is my family?" Sandy was mostly worried about his wife since he had seen the rest of his family walking around and had even heard Seth complain. Ryan was his hero right now and he hoped that he was OK.

"I know that Jimmy Cooper was dispatched with some scratches and a burn or two and that his wife has more burns and a shattered collarbone. Your sons are with a different nurse but we exchanged information and they are both awake and talking with their aunt Hailey. Seth has a broken arm and Ryan has some broken ribs and a badly burned and cut up arm which we could tell he touched to something melting," the nurse began, "The two girls are going to be OK but Summer Roberts broke her leg because she jumped out of a window to escape, Marissa Cooper has a laceration to her head and a hurt arm."

"What about my wife. Kirsten Cohen?" he wanted to know about her more than anyone else because he had talked to everyone else. He wanted to make sure she was going to be OK.

"I don't know about her sir, I'm sorry," the nurse gave him a look of sincerity; he sighed and leaned back against the pillows. "Sir, you have a large cut on your head and you broke your ankle. Let me know if your pain increases and I will up the morphine in your IV."

"Thanks," he gave her a half-smile, "And you don't have to call me 'sir'." The nurse felt a tear form in her eye as she exited the room. Did he say Kirsten Cohen? She had to get information on the patient before this man had a heart-attack. She wished she could fall in love that deeply.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Summer's leg was in the air and she sighed. She couldn't believe that the perfect night had been completely shattered. Everything was so screwed up now. She clutched onto Captain Oats. No one had noticed her grab Captain Oats before she jumped. No one understood why she jumped. No one in the room knew of her extreme fear of fire. She didn't think that she would ever have to face a situation of that extremity. She wanted to surprise Cohen with Oats but the nurses didn't want her to leave the room. She looked over at her best friend who had a bandaged head and her arm was in a sling. She didn't even want to know the pain that Cohen and Chino were feeling. "Coop?" she looked over at her friend.

"Yeah Sum?" she responded, sitting up in bed but flinching.

"I can't even imagine what the Cohen's will have to go through," Summer sighed, grabbing the remote from the bedside table and flicking on the TV. The morning news was on and by coincidence the fire was on the TV.

_"Last night the Cohen residence in a gated community of Newport Beach was engulfed in a rage of flames injuring eight. No one died in the flames but hospital representatives have told us that one victim of the flames is greatly suffering. All eight suffered smoke inhalation and some burns and some even more. There will be a drive for clothing, toiletries and more for the family at the Harbor School all week. The house is just being put out and it is not safe to enter the grounds yet. That's the news for now keep watching Fox WGFV Newport Beach__," _the reporter announced. Summer angrily flipped off the television and leaned back in her bed. She had to talk to Cohen.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

After begging and pleading, Summer was placed into a wheelchair and taken to visit Ryan and Seth. Marissa asked to come to.

"Please get into this wheelchair," the nurse asked Marissa.

"Why, my legs are fine," she protested.

"Hospital policy and you might have suffered shock and you might collapse unexpectedly, besides you cut your leg pretty badly and you don't want to mess up your stitches," the nurse replied.

"Fine," Marissa rolled her eyes and slid into the wheelchair. The two took off towards Ryan and Seth's room.

"Seth! Ryan!" Marissa cried, flinging herself from the wheelchair and giving Ryan a one-armed hug.

"Hey guys," Ryan sounded beat, but he sat up. Seth noticed a paper bag in Summer's hand and became curious.

"What's that Summer?" he asked, pointing at the bag suspiciously.

"A surprise for you," she cheered, handing him the bag in his good arm. He began to open the bag and suddenly froze.

"How'd you, oh my God, thank you so much!" tears started steadily streaming down his face, "Thank you so much!" Ryan and Marissa looked over to see Captain Oats in Seth's arms and a Cheshire-cat like grin on his face. The two joined in the smiling.

"Wait, Coop, you were complaining about the wheelchair but didn't you cut your leg or something?" Summer asked.

"Yeah, but I think it's OK," she smiled; she hugged Ryan and slid onto his bed, hoping to ease his pain.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Kirsten's room was deathly quiet. You could hear the quiet beeping of the heart monitor/crash system. She couldn't breathe on her own and nurses were constantly watching her. The ICU was a dismal place and the nurses all seemed to have a deathly white complexion from dealing with death too often. Kirsten looked dead. She wasn't, at least not officially. The doctors buzzed all around her as she unconsciously slept. Who knows when she would wake up? All they knew was that she had a long time until she was back to normal again. The nurse in charge of her sighed and finished filling up the IV.

_Good morning day _

_Sorry im not there _

_But all my favorite friends vanished in the air _

_It's hard to fly when you cant even run _

_Once I had the world and now I've got no one _

_If I needed someone to control me, _

_If I needed someone to hold me down, _

_I would change my direction and save myself before I _

_Drown. _

_Good morning day _

_Sorry your not here _

_But all those times before, your never this unclear _

_Its hard to walk when you cant even crawl _

_Once I had this world, now I've lost it all _

**Three Days GraceDrown **

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

**A/N: Yes so that was the 2nd chapter. To some of my reviewers, to try to clear some stuff up, this isn't an AU but you can find in here ** **sometime that Kirsten wasn't drinking the wine but she was OK with people around her drinking it. Jimmy and Julie live in the house on ** **Haunted Hill and Sandy left Kirsten because he was about to pass out and she told him to. Expect Chapter 3 soon! **


	3. Harder Days

**Disclaimer: I own nothing OC-related. I guess I own the firemen and paramedics but they don't really count? Yeah and I wish I owned their Range Rover because I would so drive that around town and be a pimp. **

**A/N: If it doesn't have drama, I didn't write it. This story is filled with hospital drama. I don't know how long it's going to be. I think this will end up being the best story that I have ever written before. Yay! COMMENT PLEASE BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND I'LL COMMENT ON YOUR STORY TOO! For clarification I kind of made my own time period. Ryan is really close to the Cohen's but Caleb is still alive and Jimmy/Julie is together. **

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Everyone was dispatched that day with the exception of Kirsten. The only problem would be finding a place to go. Summer and Sandy both on crutches, Julie and Seth both with slings, Marissa and Ryan both with bandaged arms all went home to the house on haunted hill to refresh before waiting and worrying about Kirsten and what the family's next move would be. Seth could barely move because he was so heavily sedated. His sling wrapped around his body and the actual sling was attached to that part so he couldn't move his arm at all. He was so tired that he just wanted to lie down.

"Dad, when do we have to go back to school?" Seth asked Sandy, sitting down on a couch in the Cooper's house.

"I think you should go back tomorrow. There isn't any use in sitting around here, it's just depressing," Sandy suggested, "After-school tomorrow we'll go over to the…the house where some of our friends are trying to…to salvage things and we'll check on that." Seth looked longingly into his dad's eyes before he turned around and headed towards the room that Ryan was staying in.

"Hey man," Seth sat on the edge of the bed that Ryan was on, "Dad says we're going to school tomorrow." Seth watched as Ryan slowly turned around. Seth knew that he had broken ribs and was in a lot of pain. He also knew that he was deathly worried about Kirsten. "By the way man, thanks for saving my mom and all," Seth thanked Ryan shyly.

"I feel like I didn't save her in time. I feel as if I failed your dad!" he exclaimed, picking up a pink pillow off the bed and chucking it at the wall, "This sucks." Seth smiled and stood up slowly. Even though he didn't break his ribs his arm weighed him down.

"Hey boys," a knock came from the door and they turned to see Julie Cooper, her whole torso was swollen and there was a brace on her collarbone and her arm was in a sling, "How are you two?"

"We're as good as can be expected. How's your collarbone?" Ryan answered, charming Julie.

"Painful," she moved her arm a little bit and then winced, "It shattered into a good ten pieces." She shrugged with one shoulder and made a move into the room.

"Didn't you first see the fire?" Seth asked, scooting over to leave room for Julie to sit on the bed with him. They both had slings and Ryan thought it was funny. He snort-laughed and slowly made his way onto the chair in the corner.

"Yeah, and it was pretty much the most scary thing I have ever seen, it knocked me flat onto the ground which explains the collarbone," she told them, "But the reason I came into the room is because I need you two to come to the kitchen. Everyone….besides Kirsten….is here and we want to give you guys something." The three retreated to the kitchen where Marissa, Summer, Jimmy, Sandy, and now Julie stood around a table. "Sandy, join your boys," Julie reprimanded him as he hobbled towards the boys.

"We wanted to give you guys something," Marissa began, "It isn't much. Well it is but still…" The group handed large bags to each of the boys. Ryan was given double. "Ryan, some of those are…Kirsten's." The boys looked in the bags to find clothes, toiletries, cards, and a lot more.

"Thanks!" Sandy cried, "It's great!" He looked genuinely happy for the first time in days. Ryan peered into Kirsten's bags and handed them to Sandy. Sandy suddenly lost the happy look that had found a place on his face. His eyes welled up with tears and he headed to the door, "I have to go. Jimmy, we haven't picked up our cars because someone said they are at the hou…lot."

"Sandy!" Ryan called, heading towards him, "Where are you going?"

"The hospital, Kirsten needs me. She may not be…responsive, but she needs me!" Julie looked sympathetically towards Sandy. She even accumulated a few tears in her eyes.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

After Ryan had persuaded Sandy to allow him to go to the hospital with him, the two sat in the ICU waiting room. A doctor came out to greet the two.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Cummings, we've spoken," he greeted the boys, "For the first time since the fire I am letting guests go in her room and sit with her." The two boys perked up. "Would you like to go?" Neither could think of the appropriate words to thank the doctor. The two stood up and followed the doctor towards a room. They heard the beeping of monitors, saw the IV stands hooked into her arm, and how still her body was. Ryan had never noticed how still a person was until they weren't moving at all. He looked at the machine helping her breathe. He sat down in a chair and put his head in his hands; he had failed the Cohen's once again.

Sandy took a seat on a chair next to Kirsten's bed. "Kirsten Nichol Cohen," he began, "Where do I begin to tell you about you? You're amazing and I love you more than the air that I breathe. I would do anything for you, such as take your place in this bed, but I know that I failed you. I left you when you were trapped, I know that you told me to go but I shouldn't have. You needed me to be there but I left you. I can't believe the mistake that I made. I love you so much honey." Ryan watched Sandy speak to his wife with tears in his eyes. He almost regretted coming and seeing Kirsten in this state. He walked up behind Sandy and put his hands on Sandy's shoulders.

"It'll be OK, Sandy," Ryan told him as Sandy slowly stood up, "Let's go home. I know we haven't been here long but I don't think this is good for you."

"Thanks Ryan, besides, for you it's a school night," Sandy lightly smiled, putting a hand on Ryan's shoulder as he stood up on his crutches.

"Bye Kirsten…or should I call you mom? I love you regardless," Ryan smiled and followed the limping Sandy out of the room. The two headed to Jimmy's car without saying much. The peacekeeper, leader, ruler, of the family was half-dead and no one could take it.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"We can go see mom after-school!" Ryan tried to persuade Seth out of the door, "Come on, Marissa's taking us to school and we don't want to keep her waiting!" Ryan didn't want to physically force Seth out the door but it seemed like the only choice.

"But, I mean, it seems too soon, I mean my mom hasn't woken up in like three days!" Seth threw his hands up in the air in desperation, "Fine."

"Bye guys," Sandy hobbled up to the two, "Have a good day. If at any point either one of you feels bad or doesn't feel like you can handle it, don't be afraid to call me." Sandy gave each of his son's a separate hug.

"Bye dad," Ryan spat out, suddenly correcting himself, "Sandy." Sandy cocked his head sideways and smiled,

"I like the 'dad' effect. Continue using it."

"Good-bye father dearest," Seth grinned, giving his dad a one-armed hug.

"Bye kiddos," Jimmy smiled from the kitchen. Julie walked into the foyer to see the boys. Her whole torso was still a deep shade of purple and the boys made faces at it.

"What's with the faces? The bruising, yeah I know it's kind of…gross?" Julie smiled, "Good luck at school."

"Thanks," they simultaneously murmured. The two walked out of the door. No one in the family had really hit the realization point with all the screwy stuff that was going wrong. Marissa hurried down the stairs behind the guys and rushed the two out the door.

"Don't wanna be late for class, have great days," Marissa smiled at the adults and pushed the boys out of the room and into her car, "They can be such parents sometimes!" She reversed out of the driveway and headed towards school.

"Your mom's collarbone is gross," Seth decided to tell Marissa, "It's all like…black and blue." Marissa knew that the boys were trying to cover how worried they were about their mom.

"Yeah," she replied, shrugging, "So I mean, how are you guys?"

"Truthfully?" Ryan asked her. She nodded.

"Not so good, my mom is like, not good," Seth told her, looking down in the car. Marissa didn't really know what to say, so she didn't say anything. Luckily they arrived at school without having to be truthful with each other.

"I haven't been able to convey my emotions appropriately," Seth continued, "I mean I don't want to make a tense situation even tenser." Marissa just looked pitifully towards him.

"Let's just get to school you guys," Marissa suggested, heading towards the car.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

After a pretty rough day at school, Seth and Ryan arrived at the hospital. They saw their dad sitting in a hard chair in Kirsten's hospital room.

"Hey guys," he looked up at the boys, "How were your school days?"

"It sucked dad," Seth looked at his father, "Way too much pity."

"It did suck," Ryan agreed, "We were too…" Suddenly Sandy heard a noise from Kirsten's bed.

Two eyes fluttered open on the hospital bed. The boys all looked at each other and secretly thanked God. Kirsten was going to be okay.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Voila. Chapter 3.**


End file.
